Scanning

What is it?

Scanning is simply the process of digitizing hard-copy media. A scanner is a device that optically scans images, printed text, handwriting, or an object, and converts it to a digital image. These images may then be saved into a variety of file formats and used in lectures, websites, etc. This is especially useful when no digital versions of an image or text are available.

Key features

A simple way to create digital copies of non-digital media.

Who uses it?

Virtually every instructor will eventually find the need to create a digital copy of some media that is not available in any other format. Examples include making digital images from old slides, digitizing images from books for instructional purposes, or creating a copy of an old book no longer available in any other format.

How does it work?

The most common scanning device is the flat-bed scanner, which creates image files out of any media. Unless the scanning device is part of a larger printing device, proprietary software is usually required to properly save and adjust the desired scanning area.

Things to consider before creating digital scans

If you are scanning images or text, it is important to ensure that you have the legal right to do so and are not committing copyright infringement.

Be sure to select an appropriate quality level for scanned image. Extremely detailed quality settings can create ungainly file sizes that are then difficult to put to your desired use.

Uses as an Instructional Technology

Creating copies of an image for instructional use

Instructors can use scanning technologies to distribute important works as a way to highlight specific passages in textbooks or novels that reference the work or for student reference use later on.

Save images of media for uploading to course management systems or websites.